Dawn doesn’t sneak in quietly. It rips across the sky, bruised gray and silver, like the morning itself got dragged here kicking and screaming. The whole forest buzzes with nerves—wolves moving too soft, guards standing out in the open, whispers sliding through the branches like smoke.Everyone’s awake. Even the fear.I stand at the Alpha house window, watching fog twist along the ground. My reflection stares back—pale, hollow-eyed, a thread of silver curling under my skin like something alive, waiting.Behind me, I feel Caleb before I hear him. That steady pull, anchoring me, slowing my racing thoughts just by being close.“You didn’t sleep,” he says, voice low.“Neither did you.”He doesn’t argue. He steps up behind me, careful, like I’ll break if he’s too fast. His hands hover at my waist, not quite touching.“Council meets in an hour,” he says. “Rowan’s called everyone. Even the outliers.”My stomach twists. “It’s that bad?”He nods. “Lydia’s been busy.”I turn. “They want to take
Last Updated : 2026-01-15 Read more